SSA activities

University of Rome to host Kamil crater seminar

Khamil crater seen from space

20 September 2010

The seminar 'Kamil: A Lunar Crater on Earth' will be presented on 23 September at the University of Rome in conjunction with the European Planetary Science Congress 2010. Members of the media and public are welcome to attend (event in English and Italian).

Kamil crater, located in southwestern Egypt, was discovered in 2008 using Google Earth satellite imagery. With a diameter of 45m, it is one of only 15 impact craters on Earth under 300m in size. Due to the desert climate conditions, it is the best preserved such crater, and offers a unique opportunity for scientists to study terrestrial impact events.

In 2009, in collaboration with Telespazio, e-Geos and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the crater region was thoroughly analysed using satellite data and high-resolution radar images provided by Italy's COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation. This work was supported by ESA's Space Situational Awareness (SSA) programme.

The seminar will report on the discovery of Kamil meteorite crater and include details on this year's expedition to collect impact fragments. ESA's Dr Detlef Koschny, Head of Near Earth Object activities for SSA, will make a presentation during the seminar.

The seminar is sponsored by INAF-IASF (National Institute for Astrophysics), Rome, and organised by the Space Academy Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space and the University of L'Aquila.